SJW STaR Chart Powerpoint

Sjw S Ta R Chart Powerpoint

Week 2 - Texas STar Chart Opinion

I chose LEADERSHIP, ADMINISTRATION & INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT. I know there are challenges that administration will face while implementing technology, such that rapid changes on many fronts make it virtually impossible for any individual within a school system to maintain the necessary knowledge to represent all facets of planning for and implementing technology. For this reason, collaborative and on-going planning consistent with the Long-Range Plan for technology and articulated with campus and district plans is necessary if schools are to see improved student learning based on data-driven decisions. Fulfilling the vision of technology requires district, campus, and teacher leaders who articulate and advocate a vision of what technology can do for teaching and learning as well as school operations. Providing the essential leadership and instructional support is critical. Leaders must model the effective use of technologies as well as articulate clear expectations for their faculty and staff. Time for ongoing, sustained professional development must be provided in order to maximize educational benefits from our investment in technology. School decision makers are challenged to budget real costs of technology, both initial and ongoing, and to secure funding to support that budget.

I feel that my principal has communicated her opinion on technology very clearly. However, I am the campus instructional specialist and have been part of her administration when discussing her thoughts on technology. I don't know if she has expressed her thoughts and feelings to the teachers. She has done many things on my campus to ensure that technology is available and used effectively. We are still a fairly new school and have current technology. My principal is always encouraging the staff to participate in technology trainings. We just received stimulus money that she used to purchase technology for the classrooms. Each classroom will be given Smartboards, Elmos, Digital Camera/Scanners. Each grade level will be given a mobile computer lab with 22 laptops for the students to use. Our campus has a computer lab, as well as each classroom being provided 5 to 7 classroom computers for student use. On top of all of this, our technology instructional specialist spends half of his day everday going in and out of classrooms helping teachers integrate technology into their lessons. He provides trainings, tutorials, and lesson plans to teachers. I consider my campus to be very lucky that we have leadership that is very excited about technology and what it can do for our students. I suppose this is why I was disappointed to see the score of 16 in this section. I worry their may be miscommunication between my principal and her staff. She can purchase it and provide training for it all, but if she doesn't communicate her belief and it's importance then the teachers are not going to buy into the idea of integrating technology.

Week 1 - Technology Applications TEKS

The Communication series of the Technology Applications TEKS is the consummate opportunity for students to show master of knowledge and/or skills. This series requires students to utilize medias and softwares for presentation to particular audiences which will receive an can be both informally and formally assessed according to the rubrics that the student will be self-directed to create. Students are to show that they can incorporate a variety of media into their presentations and are required to use programs that store data, organize the project, track completion and analyze/evaluate the data for presentation. This is a wonderful chance for assessment as to whether or not the student understands the various ways to obtain information and produce projects.

Week 1 - Pre-K Technology Applications TEKS

The Pre-K Technology Applications TEKS require students to be able to navigate software using physical and programmed instruments. They must learn minimal technologic terminology as well as basic oral and graphic clues for software operations. Students will enjoy listening and interacting with multimedia software.

Per the Pre-K technology TEKS, young students are acquainted with the major parts of a computer and their terminologies as well as how to use softwares that are age appropriate. They are taught to listen to interactive storybooks or videos and even maybe some research via electronic encyclopedias and dictionaries. All of these are essential foundational strategies and techniques that will be built upon as the students progress through the educational environment.

Week 1 - Analysis of the Long Range Plan

Ten years ago, during a staff development, the presenter said, “If you do not know how to use a computer you will not be teaching very long.” At the time, I thought she was crazy because I did not need a computer to teach. I was still doing grades in a grade book and I was still writing lesson plans in a lesson plan book. Since that time, however, I have seen an increased demand for using computers. Before I left the classroom, I did my grades and lesson plans on the computer as well as incorporated computer-based technology into my lesson plans for students to learn.

After reading the Texas Long-Range Plan, I realize how true were the words spoken by that presenter years ago. Traditional forms of teaching are changing to meet the demands of the digital age. Thus, as an instructional leader in the digital age it is important to understand the benefits of using technology in the educational setting. Using technology helps a teacher accomplish his/her professional responsibilities as well as providing a helpful tool that actively engages students in the learning process and appeals to their multi-sensory learning styles.

Week 1 - SETDA - Building Survey

I choose the building survey of the SETDA. I am the campus instructional specialist on my campus and no longer have a classroom of students. My school is only five years old. Therefore, most of our technology is in good shape. I know technology is outdated quickly, but we have a great technology department in my school district that tries to keep every campus current with technology. This summer we received stimulus money that my principal decided to use on technology. We are getting Smart Boards, Digital Cameras, Scanners and Student Response Systems for each classroom. I think my campus technology is one of our strengths. As far as the campus weakness, I believe I would have to say parental and community involvement. We do not provide enough opportunities for our parents to use and/or utilize our campus technology. Rarely do we reach out to the community for any technology projects. I would like to see my campus work on each of these two areas in the future.

Week 1 Requisite Technology Skills Assessment

I accessed the Technology Applications Inventory to assess my knowledge and skills in the four strands of Foundations, Information Acquisition, Solving Problems, and Communications. According to the inventory survey, my greatest strength lies in Foundations which does not surprise me because I tend to be a technology 'junkie'. I love technology and always want the newest gadget and to know how it all works. However, percentage wise I would say that most of my results were somewhat very close to one another. As far as weakness, I am still not comfortable creating video which is where my weakness is. Photography as well as importing graphics and video are easy for me, but producing a video product and sharing it via pod casting or videoconferencing is not something that I have experience with . I somewhat understand it, but have never actually produced one.